Table 1.

Glossary of common terms and acronyms used in infection control

Term	Definition
Airborne precautions	Precautions for diseases primarily transmitted by aerosolized particles through the air (e.g., tuberculosis, measles)
Aerosol transmission	Inhalation of an airborne pathogen through fine (<5 μm) respiratory droplets
Aerosol-generating procedure	Procedures that mechanically create and disperse aerosols, such as those that can result in coughing. This might also include the use of support apparatus such as ventilators and nebulizers
Contact precautions	Precautions for diseases primarily transmitted by direct patient contact, or with items in a patient’s environment (e.g., multidrug-resistant bacteria, C. difficile)
Droplet precautions	Precautions for diseases primarily transmitted by larger particulate droplets (e.g., adenovirus, Streptococcal pneumonia)
N95	A tight-fitting respirator tested to filter at least 95% of very small (0.3 μm) aerosolized particles
Powered air purifying respirator (PAPR)	Protects the user by using a blower to filter ambient air through air-purifying elements
Personal protective equipment (PPE)	Includes, for example, masks, eye shields, gowns, gloves
Person under investigation (PUI)	An individual who has clinical features or epidemiologic risk (e.g., exposure to health care facility or individual with confirmed infection) that warrants further workup for COVID-19 or other infection